Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero has defended the response of Ademola Lookman to Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini, asserting he would have been upset if he was spoken about in like manner, Afrosport reports.
Gasperini lashed out at the Nigerian forward for his penalty miss against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League knockout playoff second leg which the Italians lost 5-2 on aggregate.
Gasperini, after the game, referred to Lookman as “one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen”.
Lookman went on to share a response on social media, stating Gasperini’s comments were hurtful and disrespectful and clarified that the responsibility to take the penalty was passed down to him even as he was not the designated taker.
Speaking on Sky Sport Italia, Del Piero said: “It is human to make mistakes, including from the penalty spot.
“Aside from the internal dynamics of that team, I would have been very upset by Gasperini’s words in the press conference. I am therefore not entirely surprised that Lookman responded that way, as he is right to do so.
“He is having an extraordinary campaign and has been put on the chopping block, which risks damaging the rest of the season. We’ll see how the team reacts.”
Lookman just returned after missing six competitive matches due to a knee injury. He has scored 15 goals and provided seven assists in all competitions this season.
